Praying in Tough Times

This Sunday is Christ the King Sunday; a highlight of the Christian calendar but a much lesser-known day than Christmas and Easter. It is a time to remember all that Jesus has done for us in His life, death and resurrection, and for us to get ready to celebrate His coming/return during the weeks of Advent.

As I think about this in my own worship preparation, I’m very aware that we really need the Good News of Christ the King Sunday. In the wake of the US election, protests have been happening daily in cities across the country and even here in Canada. There is anxiety about those President-elect Trump has chosen as his inner circle of advisors. Muslims, ethnic minorities and members of the LGBTQ community have faced violence and harassment and anti-Trump sentiments have also resulted in negative behaviours. It is hard to not worry or be concerned about how this will all play out.

Last week I mentioned that praying for decision makers and government officials can be an important role for the church. But prayer for all kinds of people and situations is important and can be a lifeline for those who are afraid and anxious. How do we help our learners to develop a prayer life that feeds their souls and enables them to hear God’s voice and to respond as they continue to grow in faith? As you listen carefully to their concerns and model prayer, also consider some of these ideas for your own ministry setting:

1. In worship, especially if you do family/inter-generational worship or Messy Church, find creative and interactive ways to pray. Provide pens or markers and encourage people to write prayers on cue cards that are offered and included in the prayers of the people. Leave space in prayers for people to silently or out loud add names or ideas to the prayer. Invite families as well as children or youth to lead in prayer, either reading something prepared or preparing it themselves. Incorporate a simple response to keep people involved.

2. In your worship or learning space set up prayer stations with different kinds of prayers (i.e. Thanks, Help, I’m Sorry) on chart paper with markers or as headings on a “prayer wall” where sticky notes can be added with short prayers or drawings. Have this as an ongoing opportunity for people to add their prayers. Revisit it from time to time, asking what has happened with the prayers posted. Older learners could start a prayer journal.

3. Take the time to talk about prayer and how it helps us to draw close to God and have a stronger relationship with God, just like a close friend. Talk about what makes a good relationship with someone else, like being able to pay attention and focus on what they are saying. Talk about ways that we can be better focused when we pray, such as lighting a candle or having a prayer station/table at home, and finding a quiet time.

4. Offer non-traditional ways of praying for those who can have difficulty expressing themselves with words. Provide a finger labyrinth, some printed Psalms from an easy-to-understand translation that can be prayed or written in their own words, a sand prayer station (a shallow bowl or pie plate with sand and Christian and other symbols that can be placed in it), or look into Praying in Color (http://prayingincolor.com/tag/doodling) for a way to draw prayers or colour inspirational pictures.

5. Sing graces before snacks and meals in your programs and use music at other times to sing prayers of thanks and praise and even lament or cries for help. Often music allows more wiggly learners to move and focus on rhythm and actions. You could also invite learners to come up with movements to go along with words used in simple prayers, asking them to show in their bodies what they feel inside about the words.

6. Perhaps most important is encouraging prayer at home and supporting parents in making prayer part of daily life. I came across the little book Scrambled Starts: Family Prayers for Morning, Bedtime, and Everything In Between by Jenny Youngman (Upper Room Books ©2015) and love it. It takes a realistic view of the challenges of getting kids to pray regularly and offers lots of amazing suggestions for parents.

There is never a bad time to pray, but when times are tough, our learners do rely on us to set the tone for living Christian lives. We need to model the stability and comfort we find in praying to our God who loves us always. Jesus is our Prince of Peace and hears us, even if the answer is not yet or something better than we had thought. Learners pick up pretty quickly on stresses around them. We have the privilege of sharing our reliance on God and our trust in God’s ability to be there for us and to guide us. What a gift to share what we have received!